1. Field of The Invention
This invention relates to mallets that can be used for playing percussion musical instruments. In particular, this invention may be used to play a timpani, cymbal or tom-tom with one end and play bells, xylophone or snare drum with the other end.
2. Prior Art
Prior art mallets generally comprise a shaft including one end which makes up a handle and the other end which is the head. One type of mallet head, used for a timpani, bass drum or tom-toms, or the like has traditionally been constructed of solid felt shaped generally in the form of a cylinder or sphere. Such mallet heads can also be wool or synthetic yarn. Sometimes, such fibrous mallet heads are replaced with rubber or plastic heads, i.e., polymeric heads. While these type heads are useful, the sound and feel of these mallets is not desirable for all uses that the percussionist may have to make while playing. For example, there are instances when a percussionist needs to move from one type instrument to another so rapidly that it is impossible for him or her to switch mallets. Consequently, the percussionist is forced to use an inappropriate mallet to play the instruments. In effect, the percussionist is forced to use a mallet that does not produce the preferred sound and tonal quality is sacrificed.
The following U.S. Patents are relevant background to the invention described and claimed herein:
U.S. Pat. No. 1,472,397 to Leedy describes a drum stick for snare drums. The drum stick has all of the advantages of the conventional, hard headed snare drum stick in playing the snare drum and has the added advantage that it can be used by the snare drummer for playing various other orchestra instruments. This is accomplished by replacing the conventional type of head of the usual snare drum stick with a substitute a soft head. In order to maintain the balance of the stick, the weight of the felt head is equal to the weight of the wood which would be allowed to remain on the spindle in event the conventional wooden beaded stick were used.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,739,275 to Zipperstein describes drum sticks having one head with an attachment for producing a metallic sound or ring when the head engages another metallic body.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,892,416 to Vitto describes a tympani stick having a handle, a flat head fixed on one end of the handle in a plane at right angles thereto. The head includes a hard central finger-like core, a comparatively stiff cushion on opposite sides of the core and across one end of the core. The edge of the cushion is curved in the area of a circle about the end of the core, and a strip of soft cushioning material overlays and extends along the edge of the cushion. The stick provides all of the advantages resulting from blows struck by a cushion and, at the same time, causes a sharply defined tone to be obtained upon striking the drum membrane.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,953,619 to Ludwig describes drumsticks for producing a rumbling noise from drums, i.e., rumble tips for drum sticks. The rumble tip includes a circular disk or washer which is made of soft rubber and can be applied to drum sticks of various sizes or thicknesses.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,853,912 to Gladstone describes a hammer for percussion musical instruments, such as, xylophones, the vibraharp, chimes and similar instruments from which tonal effects are obtained by striking metal or wood bars. The hammer head is a plastic ball having a specific structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,905,043 to Soderberg describes a mallet unit including a pair of mallets which are used with percussion musical instruments such as vibraphone, xylophone, marimba and the like. The pair of mallets are pivotally connected to each other allow a change of spread between the mallet heads and are also adjustable in length one with the other. Such construction permits the playing of certain chords without the need for crossing mallets or the placing of one hand under the other.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,545,836 to Lidster describes a marimba/xylophone mallet wherein a colored liquid rubber is solidified into layer strips which are wrapped about a spheroid. A set of such mallets are formed with each mallet having a different color of mallet head and each varying in timbre.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,632,006 to Ambroszewski describes a removable drumstick mallet head having a hollow rubber core the bore of which is sized to fit over the end of a drumstick, and a cover, preferably of felt, drawn down tightly over the core. The drumstick with the mallet head in place may be flipped over and used as a soft mallet on for example tom toms, cymbals and timpani.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,395 to Phillips describes a mallet for playing a percussion instrument having a handle and a head. The head has different sound-producing properties at different locations on the head. In particular, the hardness and/or diameter of the head varies relative to the longitudinal axis of the handle, such that the differing sounds dependent on the orientation of the head relative to the longitudinal axis of the handle can be obtained.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,929,356 to Piland et al describes a mallet for striking a musical instrument. The mallet comprises a shaft and a head connected to one end of the shaft. A layer of short fibers is adhered to the surface of the head. The other end of the shaft has a finial for gripping the mallet.
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 264,977 to Starks shows a design for a drum mallet having identical rounded ends.